Open Doors
by ScratchKitty
Summary: Harry has to go back to Occlumency Lessons with Snape. Is it truly a waste of time? How will this change the relationship between Teacher and Student?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot (or lack thereof!) and errors :D

Summary: Harry has to go back to Occlumency Lessons with Snape. Is it truly a waste of time? How will this change the relationship between Teacher and Student?

Authors pre note! Yay! Hi everyone! This is one of several fics I'm currently working on. This one is flowing better though, so it will probably be finished first. Just a warning, this is a Snape centric fic, and will show quite a bit of his school days. (No, they do NOT go back in time! It's just flashbacks!) No slash planned, but I don't know how it will flesh out as I go along. Literally anything can happen :D And as always, if you like, don't like or have suggestions, please review!

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"Harry, I need you to take up Occlumency again." Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, looked unusually stern. His no nonsense tone startled the dark haired youth sitting before him, but the teen simply looked down at his toes. "No quitting Harry. It's important."

The orphan boy looked upset as he brought his gaze back to the aging wizards. "Can I at least have a different instructor?" As the old man began to shake his head, upset became full blown anger. "Why not? Snape hates me! I think he enjoys watching me fail!"

With a troubled sigh, a hand went up, silencing the boy's pleas. "I'm sorry Harry, but the bottom line is that _Professor_", and he stressed the word, "Snape is the best instructor you can get on the matter." He paused a moment, watching the lad mull that information over in his mind. When it became apparent that it had not swayed his anger, he continued. "You are letting your dislike for him cloud your judgment." His gaze held more meaning, and Harry picked up on it.

"So if you know I don't trust him, why do you make me work with him? Classes I can deal with, but _this_ of all things..! He's a Death Eater! He could be sabotaging my efforts-"

Dumbledore cut him off, "Harry, Severus is a member of the Order."

"As a spy!" he countered. "How do you know he's not working both sides of the fence to his benefit!"

'Working for the Order _is_ for his benefit; and ours.' He thought to himself as he watched the boy begin to pace before his desk. A thin, bony hand reached up to rub the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Harry, _I_ trust Severus with my life. He has more than proved himself loyal to the Order." He shook his head again, deciding not to argue the point. "Please Harry. It's very important that you learn Occlumency, and Severus has agreed to try again. Now I'm asking _you_ to be mature enough to set your misgivings aside and do the same."

Harry felt a little dejected, and it showed on his face. "Fine," he said simply, if a bit aggressively. The Headmaster's tone had stopped further arguing. He had never seen the old wizard look so.. tired, and perhaps a bit put off. It has startled him at first, but his anger had quickly clouded his thoughts. More lessons with Snape during his free time? It was enough to ruin anyone's week!

……………………………………………………..

Many looked up to Harry Potter. He was a hero. Right now, however, he looked anything but. Right now, he was slumped in his favorite chair before the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Though he knew someone was talking to him, he made no attempt to even appear to be listening as he stared into the fire. Truth is, even if he had tried, she would have seen right through it anyway. She always did.

"Are you even listening Harry?" She placed her hands on her hips, waiting for him to respond.

Harry glanced up at her. "Sorry Hermione. My mind was…" He trailed off and shrugged.

Hermione Granger, his bushy haired, know-it-all friend had been trying to explain what he had missed in Defense Against the Dark Arts when he had been called off to speak with the Headmaster. The newest teacher to fill the cursed class was somewhat odd, and Hermione had thought it best to catch him up before he did what the rest of the class had blatantly done, stare.

Figuring that going through it a third time would be just as useless as the first two times, she sighed softly and sunk into a seat on the small couch across from him. In the seat beside her, Ronald Weasley, the red headed third member of the so-called 'Troublesome Trio' frowned and watched his friend worriedly. "You alright Mate? Something on your mind?"

Hermione leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner, just as Ron did. She wanted to know what was wrong as well.

"I have to take Occlumency lessons again." He'd looked back to the flames, as if they held some kind of answer for him.

"With _Snape_?" Ron asked petulantly.

"Yeah. Can't get out of it, and apparently, he's the only one that can teach me." He smirked, finally looking to his friends. Ron shook his head, but Hermione got that look on her face that said she wanted to say something, but was holding back.

"What?" He asked testily.

"Nothing." She sat back once again and crossed her arms over her chest, intent on not saying. When the pair kept staring at her, it became apparent they weren't going to let it go. Finally, she gave in. "It's just.. You should have kept with it the first time. You knew it was important, but you got frustrated and dropped it. Then look what hap-" She cut off abruptly, and shook her head.

"'And then look what happened'?" Harry filled in for her, his temper flaring. All the sudden, they were all on their feet, Harry and Hermione facing off, and Ron trying to keep them civil. "Are you saying it was all my fault?"

"No-" she started, but he wouldn't let her finish.

"What was I supposed to do? Not care!" He glared at her, and she glared back. The shouting had gained the attention of everyone in the common room, causing all conversations to be silenced as everyone turned to see what was going on.

"Well? What do you mean then!"

"Never mind! You won't listen to anything I say when you're like this anyway!" Without another word, or awaiting a response, she turned and made her way up the steps to the girls' dorm.

Harry turned to Ron, "Do you agree with her?"

Ron wanted to say that he should have tried harder with Occlumency before, but in effort not to take sides, he stayed silent.

Harry took his silence as a sort of rejection. "Fine." He said irritably as he grabbed his school robe and stalked toward the portrait hole. "I have to go. _Lessons _tonight." He spat the word with such animosity that Ron cringed.

Once Harry was gone, he sighed and headed up the stairs, intent on getting away from the stares of his fellow Gryffindors. Once he was out of sight, gazes started wandering around the room, looking to each other with silent questions. The only answers they had for each other were worried shrugs.

…………………………………………….

As Harry trudged down the stairs he pulled his robe on. In his mind, he envisioned himself telling Snape how it was going to be, and how the git might respond. The vision didn't go so well. As much as he wanted too, he simply couldn't see Snape react with anything but more hatred and animosity. That didn't help to assuage his anger, though he tried, unsuccessfully to set it aside.

He reached the dungeons, but for once didn't even notice the cold. Without knocking, he pulled the door to Snape's office open and stepped in.

"Close the door." He did so, with more force than he probably should have. Snape looked up from his desk, setting his quill aside. He held Harry's gaze for a moment, and his eyes narrowed.

"Now, now, the two of you need to start off on a better foot than that." Harry turned away from the dark gaze. He hadn't noticed the Headmaster when he came in, and briefly wondered if he had been there the whole time. Well.. he had to have been, right?

"Sorry." He said softly, once again looking down to his feet like a chastised child.

The headmaster smiled, and motioned to the chair next to him. "Have a seat Harry." He hesitated a moment, glancing to Snape. The younger professor was watching him, but looked more detached then he had a moment before. Slowly, he settled into the chair, looking between the two as Dumbledore began to speak again. "That's better." He smiled with a cheeriness the two younger men couldn't even fathom at the moment. "Now then. I know neither of you are very pleased with this arrangement." He looked back to the boy. "Severus has informed me that he won't be able to teach you anything until you learn to trust him. I agree."

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but once again, the old man raised a hand to silence him. "I know that you do not feel that you can. However, the point remains the same. You _must_. Therefore, for the next week or two, or however long it takes, you will meet after dinner." He waved his hand blithely. "Wherever you wish. I leave that to you. When you meet, you will not only practice Occlumency, but you will converse."

"Converse?" Well, Harry didn't feel bad, Snape apparently hadn't quite caught that either.

"Yes. You will discuss whatever you like. Talk to each other, and find some common ground."

Harry looked to the Slytherin behind the desk. 'Common Ground? With _Snape_?' "Er.. Professor Dumbledore, I don't think we have anything in common.."

Dumbledore laughed softly. "Certainly you do. Take the obvious, you both attended school here at Hogwarts." He nodded at his own words. "Take that, and work off of it. I want the two of you to think of each other as; well, I won't say friends exactly. As allies; companions. You're on the same side, whether you believe it or not." He directed the last bit to Harry directly. Nodding to himself once again, the wise wizard stood and stepped toward the door. "Tonight, just talk. Get to know each other." Before either of them could protest he was gone.

Harry looked back to his 'companion', who just stared back silently. At least he wasn't glowering at him like he did in class, or sneering like just about every other time Harry could think of. "Eh.." He knew he had to make the attempt. "So.." He just didn't really know _how_.

"If you have a question Potter, spit it out."

Question! That was a good idea. Snape gave him the opening, so he decided the best thing to do was just go for it. But what question? Oh, well, Dumbledore had given them a starting ground. He thought about it for a moment. Common ground? Well, everyone at Hogwarts seemed to remember their first day. For most of the students, it seemed to be one of the most memorable days. As good a place to start as any he supposed. "What was your first day at Hogwarts like? The train, and seeing the school for the first time?"

The dark haired professor sat back in his chair and took a deep breath, mulling the question over. Albus was really calling in the favors for this one. It seemed a rather; harmless question he supposed. Closing his eyes, he thought back to his first day. It had been quite some time since he had thought about those days. Usually he tried to forget. Slowly, he began. "Before I tell you anything, you have to agree that anything said here will remain between you and me. You will respect my privacy, and I will respect yours." At Harry's nod, he continued. "I arrived a bit late for the train. Not late enough to miss it, but enough that I had to search for a compartment."

…………………………………………………..

As he pulled his trunk down the isle, he glanced into each compartment as he passed. Every one of them appeared to be full. Friends were enjoying the company of friends, old and new. Dejectedly, he trudged along, trying to find one that wasn't so lively, since it was apparent he wasn't going to find an empty one.

As he looked into another compartment, he felt someone plow into him. He lost his balance and fell back onto his trunk, causing the cage containing his owl to jostle a bit. The snowy owl screeched unhappily and ruffled it's feathers.

"Well, well, if it isn't Snivelus Snape." Rubbing the sore spot on his back where it had struck the corner of his trunk, he looked up at the sneering face. Sirius Black. Mentally, he cringed. He had run into Sirius on various occasions, parties their fathers had drug them along too, and other such things that Severus would have liked to forget.

"Black." He said as a dodgy sort of greeting, slowly getting back to his feet and pulling his trunk back to the side of the aisle, as to allow others to pass.

"What's the matter Snivelus? No friends to save you a seat?"

The shorter boy glanced around, trying to devise a way out of the situation. He knew, from those previous occasions, that the best way to deal with Sirius was to simply get away from him. Out of sight, out of mind.

"I'm talking to you, y'know."

He looked back to the other boy. "I know, I simply do not care." He pushed past his personal bully and ran into another boy, one he didn't recognize.

"Problem Sirius?" The new boy looked at Severus, and back to Sirius, who had turned to box him between them.

"Snivelus is _always_ a problem James."

Severus glared at the new boy he now had a name for. "If you will excuse me _James_, I would like to find a place to sit." He knew it was hopeless; it was, after all, an apparent friend of Black's.

James smirked, and pressed against the side of the aisle with an overt flourish. "Please, be my guest." He said, his voice filled with mirth.

Perhaps there was hope for this 'James' yet! But, judging by his tone, probably not.

"Aww, you're letting him get away!" Sirius complained, giving his trunk a kick as he pulled it away.

"Let him go, we have to get back to the others before the snacks come around." They continued talking as they headed off in the opposite direction.

Ignoring them, he continued on, and finally found a compartment that was nearly empty. Only one person occupied the space. He sighed and opened the door slowly before stepping in partially. "Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked, motioning to the seat across from her.

"No one else is." She, he devised by the voice, answered. Taking that as a yes, he pulled his trunk into the compartment and closed the door. He stashed his trunk on the shelf and set the owl cage on the seat next to him.

When he was settled, he took the time to look at the girl across from him. She didn't speak again, and she was covered with a black cloak that hid her face in shadows. He glanced at the insignia on the breast of the covering. "You're in Slytherin House?"

She didn't move, but answered softly. "Second year." There was a drifting silence before she spoke again. "First year are you?"

He nodded, and silence reigned in the cabin.

He awoke, realizing that he must have drifted off. He wasn't sure how long, but the last vestiges of daylight were sliding away. He looked back to his silent companion. She had a book open on her lap, her fingers sliding over the open pages. Taking a closer look, he realized there were no words on the page, only a series on raised bumps. 'Braille?' He thought to himself. He'd never heard of a blind witch or wizard, since there were ways of correcting such a problem. "Are you blind?" He asked softly, not wanting to interrupt her reading, or offend her.

Her soft laughter caught him by surprise. "Not exactly." Her other hand appeared, a slim black wand held within her pale fingers. With a slight flick of her wrist, the lights in the cabin went out. She then stood and pulled the cover down over the windows. He couldn't see as she sat back down, but his eyes adjusted and he could somewhat see her in the darkness as she pulled the hood of her cloak back, and then pulled something off her eyes. 'Dark glasses?' He was confused, but curious, and continued to watch. After a moment, she opened her eyes, and two silver specks glowed softly at him from the shadows, as cats' eyes would.

His own eyes narrowed in confusion, and she somehow could see this. "Some people run, screaming in terror. It made for an.. interesting first year."

He racked his brain for a moment, before he realized what he was seeing. "Eye of darkness.." he murmured softly, transfixed on the silver as it bobbed slightly with her nod. He thought for a moment, trying to recall what he knew of such a phenomena. He frowned again. Eye of darkness was a blatant display of dark magic, and thus, banned magic. While he certainly didn't mind it, as his family had studied such magics for more generations than he cared to count, he wondered how she had ever gotten into school. Eye of Darkness wasn't something easily hidden.

She seemed to notice his distress. "So you know something of it hmm? It's ok. Not everything is told in books. My grandfather cast Eye of Darkness on himself. The books are right, in the respect that once cast, you can't get rid of it. What they don't say is that it passes down the generations. My father had it too, and neither of us asked for it."

She put the dark glasses back on, and began to pull the hood of her cloak back over her head. It hit him that she was going to turn the lights back on for him. "You don't have to do that. It is more comfortable for you in the dark?" She nodded slowly. "Then you can leave it. I don't mind the dark."

She smiled softly, and pulled the glasses off again. "Thank you." She offered a hand. "Raven Umbrae."

He smiled softly, taking the offer. "Severus Snape."

………………………………………………..

"Umbrae! The new Defense instructor's name is Umbrae!" Harry interrupted. Snape glared. In the telling of his story, he'd forgotten who he was speaking to, and thought he had perhaps told too much. But the boy seemed to be listening at any rate.

"Yes.. It is not a coincidence. Don't interrupt."

"Yes sir. Sorry sir." He grinned somewhat sheepishly as Snape gave a mental sigh.

He narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps that is enough talk for the night-"

"Please go on. I won't interrupt anymore." The poor boy was starved for any story that might contain his parents. Besides, Snape was being rather open, and he was sure that it might not be the case next time around.

The older man released a long breath and continued his story.

……………………………………………………..

As the train pulled to a halt, students were hurrying to get their things together. Raven pulled her trunk down off the shelf after placing her book back into her backpack.

Severus waited for her to finish before pulling his own trunk down, and readying to leave the train. She didn't say a word as they filed out onto the platform and she headed off toward the carriages. He frowned as he turned to say goodbye when he heard the call for first years. She was already gone, and he wasn't sure what to think of it.

"C'mon Snivelus, you're holding up progress!" A hand struck him hard on the left shoulder, almost pushing him forward. Severus gave a mental cringe. Black had gained two more toadies since they're 'run in' on the train. The four boys glared at him, and he briefly wondered what the other three hated him for, then dismissed the thought. Black hated him for seemingly nothing, he was certain he could sway his friends to do the same.

"You are aware that you could step around me, or is your Neolithic brain too slow to grasp that concept?" He smirked and slipped off into the crowed headed for the docks before Black or his pals could do anything else to him.

……………………………………………………………

Serverus took the time to glance around at his fellow first years as they waited to be called for sorting. Many of them looked excited or anxious. Severus only felt sick to his stomach. His father had made it quite clear that he would be _very_ disappointed if he didn't follow in his footsteps and get into Slytherin.

Fortunately, Black had already been sorted, so he couldn't add to his anxiety. There had been little hesitation when the hat had sent him to Gryffindor.

He stayed as far away from Black's new gang as he could.

Though he wasn't paying much attention to the actual sorting, he knew several of his father's friends' sons had been sent to Slytherin. He looked up as Lucius Malfoy was called. The hat had hardly touched his platinum blonde hair before shouting "Slytherin!"

Lucius he knew, they had been playmates before his mother died. After her death, his father had ended such things, telling him he needed to grow up. After that, he had only seen Lucius in passing.

He followed is former friends progress as he made his way to the Slytherin table. Looking down the length of the table, he looked for a glimpse of Raven, but everyone was moving around too much, and he couldn't see.

Two more boys were sorted to Gryffindor. Peter Pettigrew, a small frightened looking boy he had see following Sirius and James around on the platform from the train, and James Potter himself. So now he had a surname to tag to the boy.

"Severus Snape!" He looked up at the Witch who had called his name, then slowly made his way to the front of the thinned group. He sat down upon the stool, and pulled off looking indifferent to the whole process even though his mind was in turmoil.

"Hmmmm…." A curious humming buzzed in his head. "Bravery calls for Gryffindor," the hat began.

Panic stuck him at the mere thought, his father would surely kill him if he was sorted into the complete opposite house!

"Yet Wisdom speaks of Ravenclaw," it continued, unperturbed by his swirling thoughts. "A cunning also speaks to me, worthy of sneaky Slytherin.."

His heart was racing. He was almost certain his brain was sweating.

"But which to send you of the three?" There was a pause as it seemed to mull the decision over. "Hmm, yes, a bloodline strong and pure makes me sure from here in, that you should be in Slytherin!" Though most of what it said was only to him, this last was shouted aloud to the hall. He released the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding and slid off the stool to take his place at the house table.

He received a nod from Lucius as he sat at the end of the table, and a few pats on the back by some over exuberant housemates.

……………………………………………………

Harry frowned as he listened to the recounting of the sorting ceremony. He wasn't sure what to think of Snape having Gryffindor qualities. Ravenclaw, he could perhaps see, but he had always thought of the dark professor as the epitome of Slytherin.

Snape sneered at Harry's dilemma. "Never would have guessed hmm? Just remember Potter," He paused, and leaned over the desk a bit, looking frightening enough to make some students cower; not Harry, of course. "Just between you and me."

He nodded slowly in return. "Yes sir."

Looking somewhat satisfied, or as close to satisfied as Snape ever got, he waved him off. "We are finished for the night. Return on Thursday, 8 o'clock sharp."

"Yes sir." He looked a bit upset as he gathered himself and slipped quietly out the door. That certainly wasn't what he had been expecting for the first lesson. Then again, he never thought he would have to.. exchange stories with the snarky professor either. Harry wondered what he would ask of him. But then, the 'between you and me' went both ways, so he was confident that anything he told him in that confidence couldn't be repeated.. Did it also mean that if he asked him about some of the things they'd done.. that he couldn't punish him for them now, since he had no way of proving those past transgressions? Time would tell he supposed.

…………………………………………………….

Back in his office, Severus simply sat there, staring at the vacated seat before him. He hadn't told Potter everything that he'd remembered, no, his story was quite sparse compared to the vision in his mind. He hadn't told him much about Raven, he'd said nothing of her ability, though in his mind, he could remember every detail of that day.

"Damn you to hell Albus." He murmured softly, without much conviction. He knew what the old man was trying to do, and he didn't appreciate it much. He did, however, understand why he was doing it. Albus was like a father to him, and had confided in him that he saw Harry almost as a grandson. The thought had made him cringe mentally at the time, but he could see why the man felt that way. Potter was infectious with his boyish charm, and 'good intentions'. Severus sighed to himself as he gathered his things and headed for his quarters, this had certainly given him much to think about, and remember.


	2. The Eye

My apologies for not thanking my reviewers by name! Rest assured that I am grateful for each and every one of you! Here's hoping you'll each come back time and time again ;)

Also thanks to everyone who added me to their author alert! It makes me happy

And my apologies, this part is a little shorter than the first one. Some are just longer than others 

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Severus stepped into his quarters without truly realizing he had done so. His mind was entirely preoccupied with things he hadn't thought about in years.

Unconsciously, he lowered himself into the lone chair before the already lit fire. He sat forward restlessly and stared into the flames. Memories drifted through his mind, each from a time that seemed so long ago. Giving himself a mental shake, he brought the tumbler of firewhiskey to his lips. He couldn't even recall pouring the drink, as he had been so taken by the past.

'Damn that Potter,' he thought irritably. He had tried to forget such things for a reason, and here a single unwanted night with the boy had drudged them up again.

Downing a second shot of the whiskey, he stood and set the bottle upon a small table. He then turned to a small cupboard. With a flick of his wrist, the wards protecting the enclosed shelf were dispelled, allowing him to open the doors. Inside was a small collection of corked vials. He pulled one of the vials from it's place and closed the cupboard once again. A few incantations drifted from his lips, replacing the wards before he strode off to his bedroom.

Clothes were quickly shed, then he drank the sleep draught and set the empty bit of glass aside. Hopefully, his memories wouldn't disturb his dreams.

……………………………………………………………….

He awoke early the next morning. It was normal for him to wake in the twilight hours, as he preferred to get to the hall before it became crowded with students. It seemed an unspoken agreement amongst the staff that he would chaperone those few early risers that seemed to trickle into the hall about a half hour after he did. As such, there was also a mutual respect between himself and those few students. They were, after all, somewhat alike. They seemed to have few if any friends, and enjoyed their solitude, just as he did.

Today would prove to be a bit different however. Today, as he sat sipping his black coffee, reading through an essay written by one of his more intelligent seventh year students, another presence entered the hall.

He barely glanced up as she entered. She was nearly silent as she moved, as she always had been. She didn't walk so much as glide across the floor, closing the distance between them quickly. For a moment, and only a moment, he had the impression that she had wanted to speak to him, but no, she simply settled into the seat next to him. There was no recognition from her as she began fixing her coffee.

Turned as he was, to the right while his left arm lie on the table, he was able to see her quite easily, even as he feigned reading the parchment still held in his hands.

He watched as she added sugar to the dark liquid, then stirred it without spilling. He realized she'd gotten better over the years, more precise in her movements. Once upon a time, she might have shattered three cups on the floor before successfully completing the task.

His eyes drifted to hers, though there was no meeting of gazes, no sudden spark. Had he been expecting one? No, not with her. Never with her. The dark lenses that covered her eyes forced him to remember her limitation.

She had to know he was there, but the lack of recognition made him bolder. He set the paper aside.

While she still wore the dark glasses, she no longer wore the cloak as she had when they were students. Her hair was straight and black as the void, gathered loosely in a tail that hung over her left shoulder. Her robes, much like his, were black and without ornamentation, though he could see the buttons down the front of her shirt had tiny silver serpents embossed upon them. He wondered if her eyes were as silver as he remembered.

She seemed oblivious to his scrutiny, and said nothing as she sipped her coffee and nibbled on her bagel. He reluctantly returned to the paper as the first of the early risers entered the hall.

……………………………………..

Harry awoke with a dull burning in his scar. He smirked and rubbed at the offended flesh, wondering what Riddle had done to make it burn. Usually it hurt a lot, but this time it was different; it seemed more distant. He wondered why.

The sensation ceased as he dressed, and he shrugged it off by the time he joined his friends on the way to breakfast.

They had waited up for him last night, and he was touched that they would wait, even after the argument they'd had. Apologies were made and Harry laughed at what an arse he'd been. When they asked how the lesson had gone, he sadly explained that he wasn't allowed to discuss it, but they all smiled when he decided aloud hat it might not be so bad this time around.

As they entered the hall, it was already fairly full. The Gryffindor table's occupants shifted enough to let the trio take their usual seats. Once they were settled and began to gather their breakfast, Hermione nodded toward the Staff Table. "There, you see Harry? That's Professor Umbrae."

Harry twisted himself enough to get a view of the instructor he hadn't managed to meet. Was she really the same girl from Snape's story? He frowned a bit, watching the new instructor. She was sitting near the end of the table, next to Snape's empty chair. She was sitting back in her seat, the table before her was empty, and her head was tilted forward just slightly. With her dark glasses, she looked as if she had fallen asleep. None of the other teachers were talking to her, and it made him wonder if she really was asleep, or if she was as antisocial as the Potions Master.

Hermione was talking again, but he only caught the tail end of what she was saying. "-say she's a Slytherin."

"What? Sorry, I was thinking."

She gave him a look, then took a bite of her eggs before repeating herself. "She seems okay in class.. but they say she's a Slytherin."

"Oh, I know that. She was in the Class ahead of-" He cut off, realizing he shouldn't have gone into it. Hagrid's habit of slipping must be rubbing off on him.

"You know? Class ahead of who?" She watched him curiously, but he shook his head.

"Sorry, I'm not supposed to say.."

Ron leaned over to him, giving him a little shoulder shove. "You already said most of it, you might as well tell us the rest!"

Harry sighed and thought about it for a moment. "Alright, but I'm not telling you anything more." Both his friends nodded and leaned close, so they wouldn't be overheard as he whispered. "She was in the class ahead of Snape."

"How'd you find that out?"

"Snape told me last night.. Kind of.. Anyway, I'm not supposed to tell anyone!"

"Tell us what, Mate?" Ron grinned, and patted his friend on the back. Hermione nodded and smiled, and Harry did as well, all three understanding that they shouldn't repeat the information to anyone.

Harry wondered though.. Where did the confidentiality line lie? Her class didn't seem like a big secret. That information would probably come out in it's own time anyway. He decided it was about trust, and Snape probably wouldn't be too happy if he knew Harry had told, even if it didn't seem to mean much.

Breakfast pulled to a close, and they all began gathering their things, readying to head off to their first class. Harry looked toward the Staff table, where the teachers were also departing for classes. He frowned as he noticed Professor Umbrae was already gone. When had she left?

………………………………………….

Transfiguration had been an exorcise in humility. The class had been trying to cast what McGonnagal had called 'Simple Transfigurment Illusions'. The students hadn't thought them very simple at all.

The idea had been to alter a small box visually, while leaving it physically the same. Only a few of them had managed anything close to the goal, but McGonnagal had explained that she didn't expect anyone to get it the first time, and that they'd be working on it for the rest of the week. What a fun first week!

The students laughed and grumbled about the assignment as they headed off to their next classes. Quite a few Gryffindors gathered together as they walked, seeing as quite a few of them were all headed for the same class.

Harry was looking forward to Defense Against the Dark Arts, for a few reasons. Mostly, he decided it should be pretty easy this year, seeing as his DA group had gotten so far ahead of the class itself. Even Neville looked confident, and it made his heart soar.

He was also curious about this mysterious instructor. The almost wistful look on Snape's face as he'd described her.. well, it made him wonder what sort of relationship she had had with the snarky Potions Master.

They filed in as best they could and took their seats. Hermione had explained on the way to the class that they had been instructed to always sit in the same place as they had in the first class. Since Harry hadn't been in the class, Hermione and Ron had reserved a seat for him. As they sat, Harry glanced around the classroom.

Unlike the years before, when the class had been held in what was considered a normal classroom, this year it had been moved to the dungeons. This particular dungeon was fairly spacious, and was divided into two areas. The first being the tables and chairs where they were currently sitting, while the other, larger area was simply open space. The two areas were divided by moveable dividers, made of a dark, lacquered wood.

In the back of the room were several empty cages, and more arcane looking artifacts that Harry couldn't even guess as to what their purpose might be. The stone wall had no real windows, but a single enchanted 'window' near the ceiling let in what appeared to be muted sunlight. In addition to that, each student had a single candle on the table before their seat, presumably for them to work by, though at the moment, none of them were lit. Tapestries lined the wall below the window, some in color, but most seemed to be shades of black and gray. Harry wondered if they were really gray, or if the dim light simply made them appear that way.

At the front of the room, the instructor's desk looked as though it matched the dividers, as it was made of the same dark, lacquered wood. Behind the desk several perches stood off to either side of the blackboard. Large birds occupied two of these perches. One, Harry could tell was an Owl, mostly black with a spattering of grayish speckles, and darker gray feathers framing it's black face. As if away of his gaze, it turned to look at him, it's eyes glowing a faint red. A little startled, he looked at the other bird. It was about the same size, but it's feathers were completely black, and it's beak was longer, and black as well. 'A Raven.' He realized, smiling a bit. Hadn't Snape said her first name was Raven?

The entire class was startled as the heavy door closed with a loud, resounding thud. Professor Umbrae moved from the door and toward the front of the room. Turning swiftly once she got to the desk, she leaned back against it, looking out over the students. There was a sudden intake of breath as everyone noticed her eyes.

Her glasses were off and hanging from the breast pocket of her shirt. The small silver specks of her eyes drifted over the class slowly as she waited for the students to settle once more. "Good morning Class. It's so nice to.. see you." She smirked, and Neville sank back in his seat, looking a bit pale. "Relax. To defend against the dark arts, you must be comfortable in the presence of them. It doesn't help if you all panic like rats." She waited a moment more, as everyone composed themselves and remembered where they were. "Excellent." She looked directly at Harry. "So good of you to join us today Mr. Potter."

She moved behind her desk and came back to the front with a stack of parchments, then began setting one before each student as she continued speaking. "As I explained to the class yesterday, I have somewhat of a.. disability. And since none of you were able to figure out what exactly it was, I thought I'd give you more to work with. Anyone?" Ron and Hermione shared a glance, and the bushy haired girl slowly put her hand up. "Please enlighten me Miss Granger." She smiled frostily as she set a parchment before her, and paused to hear what she had to say.

"I believe you have a.." She fumbled a moment for an appropriate word, "condition known as the Eye of Darkness." No one seemed to notice Neville shrink back in his chair again. Umbrae seemed to be waiting for more, so Hermione cleared her throat and continued. "It is an ancient form of Dark Magic which allows the bearer to see in perfect darkness, as well as sence the movement and presence of other beings.. both live and dead."

"Excellent. Fifteen points to Gryffindor." There was a soft sigh of relief amongst the Gryffindor portion of the class. Slytherin though she might be, perhaps she was going to be more fair than Snape had ever been.

She returned to handing out the parchments. "I want you all to know what you're dealing with, so you aren't so unnerved by it. Yes, the Eye allows me to see in the dark, but it has many limitations of it's own."

Neville's hand slowly crept into the air. Harry smiled at him, trying to give him more courage. Neville stopped shaking. "Yes Mr. Longbottom?"

"Eh.. is that why you were wearing sunglasses yesterday?"

She smiled at him, and he seemed to relax a little more still. "Quite so. You see, while I am at home in the darkness, Light, can be a problem. During the day, I am, for all intents and purposes, blind. As many of you asked about yesterday. Which is also why this classroom will usually be dark." She had finished passing out the papers and returned to her spot, leaning on the desk. "However, I do not wish for any of you to ruin your eyes, so you will use these." With a wave of her hand, each of the candles were lit. They cast light down onto each students workstation, but did not seem to illuminate the room anymore than it had already been.

"You can ask more questions about the Eye later if you must. For now, let's move on. It has been brought to my attention that this class is not on even ground. The lack of a regular instructor, as well as.. other factors, have divided this group. I cannot even begin to teach you anything without knowing how uneven the playing field is. So if you will take up your quills," they shuffled around to do so, "and look at the paper before you. It is simply a test to see what you know. Be honest, and make your answers as detailed as possible. Do not discuss your answers, and do not help your classmates. This is not going to be a graded test, it is simply to see what you know. You have the rest of the class period to work on it. If you do not finish here, I expect you to complete it tonight, and hand it in tomorrow." She moved back behind her desk again and sat down, opening the waiting book. "You may begin."

…………………………………….

Harry hung back as the rest of the class spilled out into the hall. Once the last of his classmates was gone, her stepped up toward Umbrae's desk. "You wanted to see me professor?" After most of his fellow DA members had turned in their papers, she had looked and asked him to remain after class.

"Off the record Potter.. I wanted to tell you that you seem to have done a very good job with your Defence lessons."

He frowned, and was about to say something, but she stopped him. "No, I know all about your study group. I even know who was in the group. But as I said, this is off the record.. I commend you for educating your fellows while that toad, Umbridge, taught basically nothing. I may call upon you in the future to assist in supervising the class."

He blinked, blushing just a bit at the praise. "Oh, sure. No problem. I'll do what I can." She nodded, and returned to reading through the pages, without really dismissing him.

"Uhm.. Professor?"

"Yes?"

"Eh.." He frowned, trying to think of a way to ask his question without crossing the boundries of his agreement with Snape. He couldn't find one. "Nevermind."

She glanced up with a curious expression. "Well if you need something, you know where to find me."

He nodded mutely, and slowly headed out of the room.

………………………………………………


	3. Lesson Two

Delays, Delays! Curse them all! Hope you're all still here with me! ;)

For anyone who wondered, Raven Umbrae, Unlike everything else, is mine! None of you have probably read any of my older stuff, but I work very hard on my characters, and I don't like to share!

Right. Moving on..!

……………………………………………………………

Lunch time found Harry outside, sitting against a stone barrier that may have been a wall at some point. He knew he should be in the hall, eating with his friends, but he felt the need to sit alone for a few moments.

Professor Umbrae hadn't been so bad. He wasn't sure how she knew about the DA classes, or if she really knew exactly who had been apart of it, he wasn't overly worried about it, because for some reason he felt he could trust her. Even if he didn't, there wasn't much he could do about it now.

He was a little worried though, as he had Occlumency with Snape again tonight, and knew they would actually be working. He grinned a bit, wondering if he'd be able to pull another story out of the git beforehand. Something made him think tonight wasn't going to be as easy as that.

With a sigh, he pulled himself up, using the wall as support until he pushed off and started back toward the castle proper. He was feeling pretty hungry now, and knew the others would worry if he didn't show up soon.

……………………………………………………

Ron settled into his seat at the table, and leaned over toward Neville. "Where's Harry?" He noticed Hermione seemed to be missing too. It wasn't too odd if one of them didn't show- usually being Hermione when she was in the library- but when two out of three were gone, people started to wonder.

Neville shrugged as he picked up a pickle. Ron turned enough to give him a look. "What's with you? You've been awfully quiet since Umbrae's class."

"Nothin'" He mumbled, but Ron poked him in the shoulder.

"C'mon then, out with it! You looked like you were going to wet yourself whenever she looked at you!"

A few other Gryffindors looked over and giggled at the statement, but some of those who had been in the same class were curious too. "Yeah Neville, she's not so bad, so what's the problem?" Hermione asked as she stepped up to the table, a roll of parchment tucked protectively in her arm.

Ron smiled at her as she settled in. "'Ey. You seen 'Arry?" He asked as he took a bite of his sandwich.

She made a face, making it clear she wasn't about to put up with him speaking with his mouthful. With a shake of her head as his only answer, she looked beck to Neville. "Are you alright?"

He looked a little uncertain. "It's nothing. Really. I'm fine."

She frowned, gathering her own lunch onto her plate. "You really don't look fine. You've been a bit pale all day. Maybe you should stop by the Hospital wing." She said if almost flippantly, but it had the desired effect. Unwilling to think of going to the hospital wing for it, Neville sighed. Everyone leaned close, knowing he was giving in.

"It just something my gram told me once."

"What did she say?"

"She told me once that when 'you-know-who' was about before, there was rumors of 'the eye' lurking around. Gram said the eye can let you see onto the souls of others. Secrets, fears.. hopes and dreams, all laid open for the taking.. like a living Dementor I guess. But they can take those thoughts and turn them against you. Until you lose your mind."

The whole group fell into a hush, then looked to Hermione. She seemed to know everything, and they were waiting for her to tell him his gram was full of it. Or atleast, hoping she would.

Hermione didn't just say he was wrong. Frowning, she looked at the parchment and frowned. Looking hesitant, everyone began looking around anxiously, unsure of what to do. Hermione looked towards the staff table, where both Slytherin instructors' places were vacant.

"I wonder where Harry is.."

"I'm right here." He smiled, unaware of the discussion as he seemed to materialize out of nowhere. "What's going on?"

The students seemed to relax a bit with his presence. Hermione held up the parchment by the silver ribbon that held it in it's rolled form. "I think we need to talk."

…………………………………………………….

In the dungeons, Umbrae was sitting at her desk, idly rubbing the neck of her Owl as she stared off into space. The classroom was completely dark, the enchanted window was gone, the stone wall unscathed in it's place. The candles remained at each table, but none were lit.

She sat in a very relaxed position, sunken down in the chair, her right leg propped up atop a small, yet heavy wooden chest sitting on the floor next to her chair.

Severus could tell, as soon as he stepped through the door, that she had something on her mind. He stepped forward, confidently. The soft glow from the tip of his wand died as he tucked it away. He'd kept it out just long enough to assure that she hadn't moved the room around since he last saw it. With any luck, his memory would be correct, and guide him through the tables without any mishaps. It certainly wouldn't do to look like a fool, especially when she was watching him.

And watching she was. Though she didn't acknowledge his entrance, she'd been pulled from her thoughts by the glow of his wand. The glow was gone, but her eyes followed his progress through the room, until he produced a chair and sat before her desk.

"I trust the room was to your specifications?" He asked, completely professional in tone.

"It will suffice." She frowned a bit, and dropped her gaze to the desk in reproach of herself. She hadn't meant to sound so.. cold. "Thank you for your effort on my behalf."

While he hadn't seen her frown, he watched the glowing specks of her eyes dip down, as she corrected herself. Truth be told, he wasn't surprised by her cold tone. After all, it had been years since they'd seen or spoken to each other, he certainly hadn't been expecting to have the same familiarity that they had as students.

"I was not expecting to see you here." She stated plainly, her eyes once again coming to bear on him. "Albus did not tell me you were teaching here."

"No, I suspect he wouldn't." 'Curse the old man and his games!'

She had closed her eyes, or put her shades on, he was not sure which. He waited for her to speak, unsure of what else needed to be said. Silence reigned for what seemed an eternity before he felt a hand rest lightly on his shoulder. "I was wrong." She stated softly. The hand left his shoulder, and he could her the shuffling of her robes as she moved towards the door.

He made no move to go after her, he simply stared through the darkness to where she had been.

…………………………………………………………..

Later that night, the Gryffindor common room was almost quiet. Some of the younger students were working together at one of the tables, others scattered about playing chess, reading of simply conversing with their friends.

Near the fire, our trio convenes. "Alright Hermione." Harry looked to his friend and nodded toward the parchment. "Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

She nodded slowly, still holding onto the roll. "It's part of it. I really think there's something we need to discuss, but we can't do it out in the open. I know you're busy with your occlumency, but this could be important."

"Neville wasn't entirely wrong." At Harry's clueless look, she filled him in on the part of the lunch conversation that he had missed. Harry was quiet as she spoke.

"Is it true? Can she really do that?"

She shifted in her seat a little and sighed. "I'm not sure what extent it could go to. But I was in the library working on my Arithmancy report and decided to see what I could find. There's a lot here that she failed to mention, and yet, it's incomplete. So I can't be sure."

"What else is there?" Ron asked, popping a chocolate frog into his mouth and trying to look unconcerned.

"Well, the book said there were different ways the powers of the Eye could effect people. Remember how I said that she could sense the presence of other beings?"

Harry nodded. "Both living and dead. What about it?"

"Well, if I understand this correctly, it's really the souls that she's seeing, not sensing any presence at all." They both looked confused, so she tried to elaborate. "Ok, if you tried to sneak up behind her, you couldn't do it. She'd see you."

"She's got eyes in the back of her head?"

'Trust Ron to ask something so silly!' she groaned mentally. "No! Listen. Think of Moony's magic eye; it could turn in any direction, and even see behind him, right?" The boys nodded. "Ok, her sight it kind of like that. She can see all the way around, within a certain radius."

"How far?" Harry asked, curious.

"It depends on how powerful she is. It could be a few meters, it could be a few kilometers." She shook he head and went back to her explanation. "Anyway, if she is powerful enough to look into your soul, then it's plausible that she could.. alter things. As Neville stated."

"Did the book say that?"

She nodded. "It said that the more powerful the bearer, the more abilities the eye would have, including a range of mental abilities.

"Bloody Hell!" Harry stood abruptly, causing a few of the other students to glance in his direction. He mumbled an apology for his outburst and sat down again.

"Harry?"

"She told me after class today.. that I had done well with the DA group.. and that she knew all about it, and even who was in it!"

"You think she pulled it out of your mind?"

Harry was silent, angry that the whole thing was compromised now. Hermione frowned, but placed a hand on his knee encouragingly. "Don't panic yet. We don't know what her intentions are, or if she can really do this at all."

"How else would she know who was in the group?"

"We can't jump to conclusions. We'll have to keep observing her and learning more. Didn't you say Professor Snape knew her from school?"

He frowned again. Hadn't they agreed not to speak of that?

"Just see if you can get any information out of him. Ok?"

He nodded a bit, then glanced at the clock. His eyes widened a bit as he grabed his stuff and made for the portal. "I'm going to be late!"

………………………………………………………………..

Severus looked at the clock again. The boy was late. His eyes narrowed as he heard a clamor in the hall, just moments before the door opened and Harry slipped into the room.

He looked away from the clock, pinning the boy with his gaze. "Eight o'clock does not mean five after. Five points from Gryffindor for your tardiness."

Harry nodded, looking down to the floor. He expected that, and offered no excuses, lest more points be taken.

"Sit." He did so, looking to the instructor. "Calm yourself. You're useless to me in that condition." Snape stood from behind his desk and slipped into an adjoining room, leaving Harry to himself for the moment.

Harry took a deep breath, two, three.. he lost count. He was trying not to get angry, but wasn't doing so well at it. 'No use to _HIM?_ He's supposed to be helping me!' Finally, the professor returned, and held vial out to him. Inside the glass was a clear, pale yellow liquid.

"It will help you focus." At the boys hesitance to take the potion, he smirked. "I assure you that if I were going to poison you, you wouldn't see it coming."

Well, there was that. He glared at the professor all the same. After a moment, he pulled the stopper and downed the liquid in one gulp. Snape nodded slightly, as he leaned against his desk, waiting a few moments until he could visually see the potion working.

"Very well. Tonight, I want to see if you've been practicing on your own at all."

Well, he hadn't really. He hadn't tried at all since he was let out of the impromptu lessons before. "Er.. well.."

Severus rubbed the bridge of his nose irritably. "You haven't tried at _all_?"

"No sir.." He said softly, sheepishly.

"Very well, I'll just have to remind you as to _why_ you should be practicing." He turned towards him, his wand at the ready. Harry's eyes widened in shock as he realized what he was going to do. He fumbled to grab his wand, but he was too late to fend off the attack. "Legilimens!"

Harry couldn't stop the attack, couldn't even remember how to force the opposing mind back. Memories drifted into his view, flashes of Death Eaters, and the shattering of the prophesy they had tried to protect. The sudden appearance of Dumbledore, and the tragic fall- "NO!" Harry fall back with a loud thud against the closed door. He slid to the floor, panting and glaring angrily at Snape. "You could have warned me to be ready!"

"Your enemies will not be so open." But he did wait, this time, for Harry to ready himself. "Now, clear your mind. Close your eyes and see nothing but space. Think of nothing, and _feel nothing._"

Harry closed his eyes and envisioned himself floating, nothing in sight. His vision wasn't dark like space, more light, as if he were floating in the dusky, red tinged sky. It seemed easier this time, but he was still angry. He tried to let the anger go, but he couldn't seem to do it.

After a few moments, he was told to open his eyes and ready himself. He did as he was told, but Snape didn't move. "If you can't fend me off, at the very least try to control what I see." Harry wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean, but he didn't have much time to think about it. Snape raised his wand. "_Legilimens!_"

Harry felt his concentration begin to shatter. Flashes of that same battle within the Department of Mysteries surfaced. Blindly, he groped for something else, _anything_ else. The vision shifted to a less feared memory. The wind through his hair, the tickle of feathers against the back of his hands. He clung to that memory even harder than he had clung to Buckbeak during that flight. All at once, it didn't seem like memory at all, he could _feel_ the muscles pulsing beneath him as the Hippogriff pumped it's wings.

Abruptly, he found himself back in Snape's office, lying face up on the floor; his wand lying uselessly a few feet away.

"You failed to fend me off, and worse yet, you dropped your best means of defense." He didn't yell, and for that, Harry was grateful. "However.. that was certainly a step."

Harry looked to his teacher, almost grateful as he stumbled to his feet, then knelt down to retrieve his wand. "How much of this will actually be useful?"

A brow raised as the question was mulled over. "What are you asking for Potter?"

He thought over his response, not entirely sure what kind of answer he was looking for. "Well.. I mean, is it always like that? Will I always know that someone is trying to find something?"

Snape didn't answer. He moved to sit in his chair, looking thoughtful. "No." He stated simply.

Harry waited a moment for him to extrapolate, but silence prompt him to act. "'No'?" Clearly confused, he righted the chair he had unknowingly knocked over during the lesson. He sat, watching Snape, and wondering if he was going to answer at all.

After a few moments, the elder man shifted, and looked to him. "No. Legilimency is.. difficult. Anyone who attempts it is likely to fail, and in the chance that they are successful, the victim is likely to feel as if his mind has been.."

"Pried open?" He supplied from his own experience.

"Quite. Even so, there are those who are rather adept at the practice. They needn't use wands, and you wouldn't even be aware of their presence. There are others still, who can see into your mind without Legilimency at all."

Harry thought back to what Hermione had said about the Eye, and wondered if it was true. Should he ask? Probably not; there was no way of knowing if Snape would answer, even if he did know.

His thoughtful look didn't go unnoticed. "I suppose you have another question?"

"Actually, I was thinking about what you said in your story the other night.. about the sorting hat almost putting you into Gryffindor." He half-lied. Truthfully, he had thought about it, but it certainly wasn't what he was thinking about right now.

Snape sniffed indignantly, then tried to look unconcerned. "What of it?"

"Well.. it made me think of what Professor Dumbledore said.. About finding common ground." A brow rose again, and Harry continued, knowing he'd at least piqued his curiosity. "Well, when I went through he sorting ceremony, I was almost placed in Slytherin. The hat kept saying I'd do well there.."

The way Harry spoke of it, Snape almost didn't believe him. But he realized that the boy was just being honest. "And?"

"And well.. I kept thinking 'not Slytherin' and the hat.. listened I guess."

Snape's gaze turned into a truly curious one. "Oh? And why not Slytherin?"

Harry had the grace to look embarrassed. After all, here he was, telling the Slytherin Head of House that he vehemently disagreed to being placed there. But turnabout was fair play, and Snape had commented during his story that his father would have been displeased if Severus hadn't gone to Slytherin. "Well.. Ron had told me just a few minutes before that all the Dark Wizards came from Slytherin.."

Snape smirked in his usual manner, then sat back in his chair. "You realize now, that it isn't quite true." It was a statement, not a question, but Harry nodded anyway.

"Yes.. I know they didn't _all_ come from Slytherin.. Even if many of them did. I mean, everyone has the chance of it right? Pettigrew was from Gryffindor." He stated softly, as if that said it all. And really, it said quite a bit. Gryffindor was supposed to be the 'Noble' and 'Just' house, yet even they were not immune to the darkness that dwells within. And now, of course, with everything that Harry had learned about his father being somewhat of a bully, he was forced to realize that even he had not been completely immune. That's to say that Harry believed Snape's words, and what he had seen in the Pensive, but he wasn't quite sure yet, and he couldn't get his father's side of the story.

Snape nodded slightly. "Even if many of those who come from Slytherin go bad, it is simply not true of all of us. Some may even surprise you." He stood and moved to the door, holding it open. "I believe we are done for the night. Practice clearing your mind until the next lesson. And I expect you to do it this time, and not simply tell me you had done so."

Harry nodded glumly and quickly gathered his things before slipping out the door. As he left, he realized Snape, too, was leaving the office. Once he had closed the door, the dark professor moved off in the opposite direction, heading deeper into the dungeons. Harry frowned slightly, wondering where he was off to in such a hurry. His chambers perhaps? He shrugged to himself and headed back to the tower.

………………………………………………….

AN: Hope that answered a few questions  More to come!

Thanks for the heads up Julie! The program I use autocorrects, so I must have spelled it wrong the first time and told it to ignore it.. so It just kept matching to the incorrect spelling lol I think it's all fixed now ;)

Coming up: We'll see more memories of Snape's, and learn more about Umbrae. In the meanwhile, the trio has to work out their suspicions and figure out what's going on!


	4. Torrent

Saturday came with a flourish, the students all abuzz with talk of Quiddich and Apparition classes, which had been announced earlier in the week. During the day, the students mostly clung to their common rooms, as he rain outside made it undesirable to venture out for long.

Harry sat in the corner of the room, half listening to Hermione as he looked over the chess board. He was missing something, he was sure of it, and knew very well that Ron would use it to his advantage. The more he focused on the game, the less he heard of what Hermione was saying. Nothing unusual really, he expected she was going to begin bartering for their attention with a raised voice in a matter of moments. He wasn't disappointed.

"Are either of you listening to me at all?" She asked, slamming her hands down on the table, near enough to the board that the little pieces jittered about.

"Aw, now don't go ruining the game! I've almost got him!" Ron said indignantly, trying to right one of his knights, which had been unlucky enough to fall over.

Harry smiled softly, and tried to calm her down. "Just let us finish the game, then you'll have our undivided attention." He smiled a bit more at her slight scowl. "Ron's going to have me out in a few more moves anyhow. And we still have a few hours before Quiddich try-outs."

She seemed to mull that over in her mind for a moment before she slumped into a chair next to Ron. "Fine. But you had better listen then!"

"No problem!" the redheaded boy said brightly as he moved his rook and took out Harry's queen. "Check Mate!"

Harry blinked and looked at the board again. Now he saw plainly what he had missed. Ron had set up a ruse, and he'd fallen for it, completely missing the opening he left. He grumbled a bit and helped Ron clear the board way before turning his attention to Hermione, who was, at this point looking a little more patient then she had been just a few minutes prior. "So, what were you saying before?"

She took a breath and straightened up in the chair before beginning. "I was asking if you'd gotten anymore out of Professor Snape last night."

He shook his head a bit and looked thoughtful. "Nothing specific. He did say that there were other ways to get into someone's mind, besides Legilimency. And he said you wouldn't always know they were doing it either." He frowned, as did his friends. "Well, I can't say he was talking about her specifically. I didn't know how to ask without looking like we were up to something."

"Yes.. He doesn't need any help thinking that." Hermione smirked. "So he didn't single her out, but didn't put her in either. I suppose it's possible she doesn't have the ability.." She paused a bit and used the time to pull a book from her pack. "I found this in the library. It's about various mental abilities, but what I was looking for was occlumency, which it says quite a bit on. Incedently, how's that going?"

He glanced at Ron, who seemed curious as well, then shrugged. "He said I made some improvement, but that really isn't saying much at all. What does the book say about it?" He leaned closer and peered at the book as she flipped through the pages, seeming to look for something.

"Well, it says that Occlumency is the direct opposite of Legilimency. It also says to know one, you should know the other."

"So he should be teaching me Legilimency too?"

"Well.. no. That's the catch. Legilimency isn't forbidden, but it might as well be. It's highly frowned upon."

Ron smirked. "Explains why Snape knows it."

She gave him a pointed look, but for once, didn't correct him in saying 'Professor Snape'. "Actually, it is a dark art. Aurors have to learn Occlumency." She looked at Harry, and he nodded reluctantly, getting her meaning. He'd have to learn it sooner or later, so long as he still wanted to be an Auror himself.

"Still," She continued, reading directly from the book, "There are very few who are accomplished enough in Legilimeny to cause trouble, as even one without any knowledge of Occlumency would know of the intrusion."

"Snape said that some people don't need wands to do it though.. so someone has to be that good. Right?"

"So I would think." She frowned, looking thoughtful again. "I wonder how good Professor Snape is? He has to be fairly good if he's supposed to teach you."

"I don't know. I feel it every time though. It's not exactly pleasant."

Ron sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "D'you think he's faking it? I mean like, making it look like he's not as good as he really is?"

"I wondered that myself." Hermione stated, flipping through the book once more. "It doesn't say anything about making it look bad. But I thought maybe he would for your benefit."

"My benefit?" Harry looked completely lost. "It _hurts_ Hermione. How could that be to my benefit?"

"Well, if there aren't many who are that good, it would probably be better for you to at least be able to recognize when it's happening, then get better at actually blocking it."

She had a point, but he didn't want to admit it. "I guess." He said, noncommintantly.

"Anyhow," she stood, closing the book. "It doesn't do us much good to speculate right now. We simply haven't got enough information. I'll keep looking, of course. You," she pointed to Harry, "Keep digging."

He sighed, watching as she walked away, to go join Ginny and some of the other girls near the fire. "Yeah. Great."

* * *

"I don't understand what purpose this will serve." He didn't bother to school the scowl on his face. His patience was growing thin. Each day Albus' games were driving him further and further into madness. Well, perhaps not true _madness_, but it sounded good, didn't it?

"Relax Severus. All is well for the moment."

"For the moment indeed. You realize bringing her here puts her back on their list? I understand he's already inquired." He needn't mention the punishment that had, and would, come as well. His muscles still ached with the phantom pains from ages ago, reminding him of what would be in store for him when he was next called. After all, it had been his original failure.

"When do you think he will call on you?"

"Soon, I believe." He pinned the headmaster with a dark gaze. "He will question my loyalties again."

"Of course he will." The older man waved a withered hand.

"That does not concern you?" He'd be surprised if it truly didn't.

"Oh, certainly it does. I however, have faith in you, my boy." Severus bristled mentally. He was infuriating! "Once again, I must apologize for what you must endure on behalf of the Order.." Now it was the Slytherin's turn to wave the comment off. They'd been over this countless times since Voldemort had been rejuvenated. "But it is unfortunately unavoidable."

"Sometimes I wonder what drives you to impart such.. faith," he half sneered, as he stood and stepped toward the door, "in me." He knew he covered his tracks well, and that questions from either side could be fielded with moderate ease. Sometimes, when things got hairy, the line blurred, and he himself wasn't so sure what side of it he was on.

"Ah." The old man smiled, his eyes glittering in the dim light from the fire. "But you see Severus, I knew she was alive. And I know that above all else, you cannot betray her.." He pinned him with a knowing gaze, making the potion's master wonder at his meaning.

"I haven't the foggiest what you're on about."

The Headmaster sat back, settled in his chair comfortably as he smiled once more. "No, of course not." He watched the younger man look as if he were going to growl, then spoke up as he reached for the door. "Ah Severus. One more thing." His hand remained on the door, but he stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. "I suspect things may get more difficult. I agree with you that Riddle may call upon young Mr. Malfoy in the absence of his father. Please do keep me informed."

He looked back to the door, studying the grain for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. "You have a plan were that to be the case?"

He didn't have to turn to know the wise old sorcerer was shaking his head no. "No plans can be made without knowing what we are dealing with in this instance. That knowledge is the key. But I fear.. that Riddle will force our hand." He waved it off. "We will speak of it again."

Severus nodded as he pulled the door open. "I'm sure we will."

He descended the stairs, wondering just how long it would be until he was called. Later in the day or the next, he was almost sure. 'More difficult indeed.' He needed some air. Preferably, air that was not being polluted by the chatter of the students.

* * *

Outside, the rain continued to make it near impossible to do anything. Raven was making her way back to the castle from Hagrid's, where she had gone to ask a few questions about the creatures in the Black Forest. Hagrid was the best person to ask, and so she had made her way down to the small cabin despite the rain. If she was to make sure all was being done to ensure the safety of the school, she had to know about the biggest unknown in the equation. She hadn't been particularly pleased with the answers. A Centaur herd was fine, she supposed, but if they were truly disgruntled with the school, she wasn't about to place her trust in them. The Amantulas were helpful, but still, not something that was a certainty, as they mostly seemed to stick together anyhow. There was a lot of forest to cover after all.

A particularly sour look cross her face, and she was glad no one was around to see it. Rain was good for that. Out here, she was far enough away from the students to almost feel alone. Almost. But that was better than nothing. Her rooms in the dungeons were far too close to the Slytherin common room for her to be at peace. Not that she thought the kids were bad, she knew better, but because her ability to sense others didn't really account for walls. She always felt as though they were all in one giant room together, even if she knew they were not.

She slowed her walk, and eventually came to a halt. She'd stopped headed back to the castle and instead made her way around it, toward the lake. To the casual observer, she looked as if she was simply enjoying the view of the rain upon the water. For a moment, she focused on the roar of it, since she couldn't actually see it.

She would have liked to see it though. She sank to her knees, cursing herself for allowing the weakness into her thoughts. She would never see it, so there was no use in wishing for it. There was no use thinking of it at all.

She stayed there like that, just enjoying the relative solitude, despite the onlooker she had.

* * *

He watched her in the rain, watched the water fall over her pale skin. In his mind's eye, he could recall a similar night, seemingly so long ago. But that night had been filled with terror, and sent her away from him for too long.

He let his mind drift to that time,. or shortly before. It was only days after he had graduated, days after he'd received the mark that had damned him. He could remember that night in swift detail, despite his own attempts to forget.

She'd come to him, congratulating him for graduating. He hadn't seen her in nearly a year, as she had already graduated, and he'd never seen her away from the school. But that night was filled with oddities really, things he'd never expected of her, or perhaps even of himself.

She'd come to him when it was just the two of them, though she never quite said why she had done so. They talked more than he could ever remember doing so. Though he'd claimed her as a friend at school, they'd rarely said much of anything then. At least he felt it so. After hours of catching up, of exploring each other's memories and stories, the rain had started. It came down hard and fast, forcing them to flee to a small tavern, hidden away from those who wouldn't know how to find it. Dark and sparse with patrons, he realized that she'd been staying there, but wouldn't know until later quite how long she had done so.

She showed him to her room, and he'd explored her offered body with little thought of the promises he'd made just days ago. He loved her, he'd realized then, though the words had never managed to spill from his lips. He wondered now, if maybe they would have changed how things ended, but he knew now, and even then, that she probably knew how he felt. Still, saying so may have been what she was searching for.

His eyes narrowed, watching as she sank to her knees in the mix of slick grass and mud. She looked now as she had that day things fell apart.

It was early morning, mere hours before dawn when things had begun to shift away from dreams to reality. The nearly forgotten mark upon his arm began to burn, jerking him harshly from his sleep. But it had also roused her. The dark magic was easy for her to sense when it became active, and she'd seemed so frightened of it, and of him. She'd run from him, and he'd had no choice but to let her go. Again, he'd failed to say what he should have said, but he was needed elsewhere. If he didn't go, the consequences would be dire.

It would be later that night when he would manage to see her again, but not nearly in so cozy a scene. There had been struggle, and she, the target. While he had wished he could help her to escape, he knew he could do nothing. Her heated words were filled with anger, sorrow, and something else he couldn't recognize. She'd accused him of selling his soul, and warned him of the dangers of his choice. But much more could not be said, as his fellows had appeared. He was supposed to rally her to their cause, a cause he was rapidly realizing he had been duped into in the first place. In the failure of claiming her power as their own, they were cited to take her out of the game. His comrades had fallen into this task so easily it made his stomach turn. Self loathing crept upon him, and he'd held back as she fled, and they gave chase. He'd only caught up to them in time to see her miraculous escape. While he known there would be consequences for failure, he no longer cared. Somehow, he'd known that he would never see her again, and somewhere inside, his heart had shattered.

* * *

She allowed him his moment before she stood and turned to look straight at him. Or seemingly so, considering her limitation. He lowered his head just a bit, though he didn't look away. He felt something akin to guilt as he was so obviously caught, but he couldn't bring himself to do anything about it. He stepped forward, out from under the alcove that had been protecting him from the weather, but even as the rain started soaking his robes and slicking down his hair, she turned. He stood there, not caring about the water or the cold he felt was settling into him straight to the morrow. All he could do was watch as she walked away.

He'd made sure he didn't cross her path again for the rest of the day. He'd returned to the dungeons about the same time as the hopeful Slytherins who'd been out on the pitch, vying for their position on the House Team. They were laughing at something one of them had said.

The sopping group spotted their Head of House, who also appeared to be soaking wet. "D'ya think he was out watching the tryouts?" One of the beater hopefuls asked.

"Who knows, I could hardly see a thing through the rain!"

"Don't make excuses just because you can't play!"

The boys laughed as they filed into the common room, save for one. Draco held back just a moment, glancing down the corridor in the direction Snape had gone in such a hurry. His eyes narrowed momentarily, then with a shake of his blonde head, he disappeared into the opening to join his fellows.

* * *

Author's note: 

I want to thank my good friend Mae for beta reading for me And thanks to everyone for the reviews! I apologize for my sluggishness for getting this chapter out.. Unfortunately, I read HBP and derailed my train of thought on this. Fortunately, I've made a few decisions and hopefully will be able to keep going without too much trouble.

On that, I should note that this does deviate form the books after OotP, though as you may have noticed, I'm going to incorporate some aspects from HBP. As always, I must bow to the awesomeness of J.K.Rowling :D


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